Beverage mixer



Jmiy 1, 1930. J. PETERS 1,768,927

BEVERAGE MIXER I Filed March 28, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l 11L." :IHIIIIIH J. P ETERS BEVERAGE MIXER July 1, 1930.

FiledMarch 28', 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y NVENTOR vention in one form."

Patented July-1:, 1930 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE sums stress, or ROSLYN nmenrs, new man, assrenon 'ro 'rnn runnom conroaarron, or new YORK, n. 1., A conrona'non or new YORK BEVERAGE nixna Application mes larch as, 1929. serial no. 350,492.

My invention relates to mixing apparatus of the class usually called beverage mixers, designed for mixing liquids in small quant ties,as in dispensing beverages at soda fountains.

r The principal object is to. provide a mixer of improved type which rapidly and vigorously circulates the mixture and completes the blending of the in edients in shorter time than is ossible wit devices previously used. A furt er object is to enable the mixer to be run at high speed,.for quick and efiicient mixing, without producing undesired rotation of the liquid-in, and, spilling from the receptacle.

The mixin mechanism proper includes a rotary, blade impeller which draws the liquid in centrally and impels it tangentially outward, and a stationary'bladed ow-controller or deflector, which converts the tangential flow to radial flow, thus preventing undesired rotary movement of the general circulating mass, while producing rapid and thorough circulation and mixing.

In some cases the complete mixer is arranged as a unit, connected to a motor for vertical movement into and from the mixing cup; otherwise'the deflector may be fixed in the cup bottom, and the impeller connected to the motor shaft, for movement to and from operative relation to the deflector.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention are further sufficiently explained in connection with the following detail de scription I of the accompanying drawing, which shows representative embodiments.

After considering these examples skilled. persons will understand that many variations may be made without departing from the principles disclosed and I contemplate the d employment of any structures that are roperly within the scope of the appended c aims.

In the drawin Fig. 1 is a com ine d side elevation and section of mixing apparatus embodying the in- Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a modification.

Fig. 3 is a section at 3-3 Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a top lan of the deflector of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a ver ical section of a modificatlon. Fig. 6 is a section at 6-6, Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of another form of impeller.

Fig. 8 is a top plan of thesame.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a deflector suitable for cooperation with the impeller of Fi s.7and8.-

ig. 10 is a top plan of the deflector. Fig. 1 shows the general features and arrangement of apparatus of this class, in one form, including a base 1, column 2 thereon,.a slide or motor sup ort 3 mounted for vertical movement on t e column, a motor 4 carried by the slide and a cup or can 5 removably located on the base, and retained in any convenient way, as by a lug or stud 6 and a clip 7.

be active mixin element in apparatus of this class is usua ly a simple fluted disc or button on the lower end of motor shaft 8, submerged in the liquid near the bottom of the cup. This is an ineflicient mixer, which does not cause any definite or thorough circulation of the liquid, and therefore requires an undesirabl long time for thorough mixing; and it a 0 produces rapid rotation of the material so that spilling occurs if the cu is nearly fully, or the speed must be curtailed to avoid spilling.

To avoid these and other disadvantages of known mixers, and realize the objects above stated, I provide a mixer consistin of a rotor or impeller. and a stationary de ector. In the form shown in Fig. 1, both main parts of the mixer are free from the cup, and connected to'the motor or motor sup ort, for movement as a unit into and from t e cup.

The impeller 10 includes an annular plate 11 having an up-turned flange 12 formm a throat or entrance passage, and curved bla es 13 (see also Fig; 3) connecting the plate to a hub 14, which 15 secured on the lower end of without spilling; and the thorough circulashown,

motor shaft 8. The stator, ordeflector 20 has an annular top plate 21 provided with depending curved blades 22 (see also Fig. 3). Plate 21 is connected by spaced arms 23 to a sleeve 25, the up er end of which is n'on-rotatably connecte to the motor casing, or as to a motor-supporting arm 3*, as by screwing the upper en of the sleeve into the bore in the arm, which also accommodates the motor shaft. The shaft 8 passes through sleeve 25, which thus serves as a long bearing and stiffener for the shaft, as well as holding the deflector stationary and locating it in proper relation to the impeller. The impeller and deflector are located, wherein active osition, so that the lower edge of their lades are close to the bottom of the cup.

In operation, liquid is drawn down central- 1y ad aQent the sleeve (as indicated by arrows, Fig. 1), enters the rotor throat, and is discharged horizontally and tan entially (Fig 3) by the curved bades 13. ThlS flow is intercepted by the deflector blades 22, which are arranged to divert the liquid to radial flow, toward the sides of the cup, and so upward toward the surface, then toward the center, and again downward to the impeller. In the arrangement shown, deflector plate 21 serves in conjunction with the. cup bottom, to form an annular passage and discharge orifice, confining outflow to lower horizontal lanes, at and below the level of the plate.

he deflector prevents whirling movement of the liquid, whichwould produce a vortex at the surface, and the motor may be run at high speed, even when the cup is nearly full,

tion, and beating of the li uid by the impeller and deflector blades, pro uce complete mixing and blending of the materials in a short ime.

Figs. 2 to 6 show modifications, in which the deflector is secured to the cup-bottom. It includes a lower'plate, or rin 30 having a central hub formation 31. W en the plate is an annulus, it may be connected to the hub by spaced arms 32. The hub has a polygonal aperture 33 fitting about a'complementally formed boss 34 formed on or secured to the cup bottom, to prevent rotation of thedeflector. The deflector may have an upperannular plate 21 as in Fig. 1, and the deflecting blades 22 are connected between the upper and lower plates; or, if the upper plate 1s Omitted, the blades are connecte to the lower plate or rm The hub 31 need not be fixedly connecte to'boss 34, and in that case the deflector is easily and uickly detached from the cup for cleaning. therwise, as shown in Fig. 5, the deflector may be secured in position, as by a washer 35 overlapping the hub and secured to the boss by a screw 36. While definitely connected, the deflector may be re-* moved by removing the screw.

7 In the arrangement of Fig. 2 the impeller is secured near the lower end of the shaft as in Fig. 1, but bearing sleeve 25 of Fig. 1 is omitted and the shaft has an extension 37 below the impeller and fastening nut 38, this extension forming a journal fitting in a bearing hole in boss 34. WVhen the Impeller-is I impeller are centered by a spider consisting of a sleeve 40 loosely mounted on the lower portion of'the shaft above the impeller and resting on the impeller hub and provided with struts or loops 41 of wire curved to engage and fit the cup wall and center the shaft.

Figs. 7 to 10 show a type of impeller and deflector which may be economically produced from sheet metal and may be used in place of the forms previously described. The impeller50, Figs. 7 and 8, consists of a central portion 51 apertured to receive the shaft end and having curved'blades 52 formed integrally therewith and bent down at right angles to the plane of the central portion. The deflector 60, Figs. 9 and 10, has a central or plate portion 61 to lie on the cup bottom and centrall apertured if. desired to receive a boss or ug formed on or connected to the cup bottom. At its periphery the plate has integral, curved and tangential deflecting blades 62 bent up at right angles to the lane of the plate portion. The impeller, as s own in Figs. 7 and 8, does not have a definite throat or central intake for liquid, of the type shown in previous figures, but the blades are so spaced and the central portion 51 so formed as to permit ample inflow of liquid to inner the cup wall.

2. A beverage mixer or similar appliance comprising a base to receive a mixing cup, an upright, a motor mounted for vertical movement on the upright, a mixer including a rotary bladed impeller on the motor shaft and positioned near the bottom of the cup when the motor is lowered to active position, and a stationary deflector located about the impeller, and a sleeve extending from the motor support and enclosing the motor shaft,

the deflector being connected to a lower portion of the sleeve.

3. An impeller for purposes describe composed sheet metal and includmg a central portion and integral, curved, approximately-tangential blades bent at right angles to the central portion. Y

4. A deflector for purposes described, consisting of sheet metal and having a central portion and inte a1, curved and approximately tangential lades bent at right angles to the central portion.

In testimony whereof I afiix m si ature.

. JAMES E RS. 

